The Women's Olympiad was held alongside the open event in Istanbul, Turkey in August and September. As with the open event, the top seeds were beaten to the gold medals on tie-break. The formidable top-ranked Chinese team lead by world champion Hou Yifan looked to have the event sewn up. But they conceded a 2-2 draw to the vastly outrated Kazakhstan team in round 10, allowing second-seeded Russia to draw level on match points. The final round saw Russia down Kazakhstan 4-0 while China only beat Bulgaria 2½-1½ giving the Russians the better tie break score.
The New Zealand Women's team finished in the bottom half of the table, slightly below their seeding. Board two Judy Gao, whose 6/9 earned her the WFM title, performed well, as did reserve Marany Meyer, who was called in at the last minute when top board Sue Maroroa was prevented from travelling to Istanbul.
Today's game is from the sixth round at Istanbul, in the match between Yemen and New Zealand. Playing with the Black pieces on second board, WFM Nicole Tsoi scored a good win against Gameel Amal.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 ---
The exchange is a relatively unambitious way to play the French for White, but seemed quite popular in the Women's event for players wishing to avoid deep theoretical lines. 3.--- exd5 4.Bd3 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Ne2 O-O 7.Bg5 Nc6
Remarkably, a new move. Developing a piece in this quiet position can't be bad, but more usually this knight goes to d7 (after ... Bg4) to support the pinned knight on f6 and allow the c-pawn to advance. 8.O-O Bxc3?!
This exchange of bishop for knight seems motivated to give more point to the previous move by clearing b4, but this was better achieved by 8...Be7. 9.Nxc3 Nb4 10.Re1 h6 11.Bh4 c6 12.a3 ---
White also seems to have little regard for the two bishops and forces an exchange that she could have avoided for the past few moves by Be2 or Bf1 leaving the knight misplaced on b4. 12.--- Nxd3 13.Qxd3 Qd6 14.Re5? ---
Routinely looking to double rooks on the open file, White misses a tactical riposte. 14 Bg3 was sensible now that the knight on f6 is no longer pinned. 14.--- Ng4!
Black is alert and puts the rook in trouble with a pin of her own against h2. White finds the best reply, leading to a forced sequence winning a pawn for Black. 15.Be7! Nxe5 16.Bxf8 Nxd3 17.Bxd6 Nxb2 18.Re1 ---
Active defence, that is nevertheless not the best. Here 18 Nd1! Nc4 19 Bf4 Bf5 20 c3 was the way to keep her weakened queenside pawns safe from the marauding knight and bishop. White hopes her own rook will win a few back. 18.--- Bf5 19.Bg3 Nc4 20.Re7 b6
Better was collecting all the queenside pawns by 20...Nxa3 21 Rxb7 Nxc2 and Nxd4. 21.Rc7 Na5?!
Again 21...Nxa3 etc. was clearly better than consigning the powerful knight to the rim. White now misses that c2 is indirectly defended after say 22 f3 Bxc2 23 Nxd5! retaining some drawing chances. 22.Bd6?! Bxc2 23.Bb4 ---
If 23 Nxd5? cxd5 24 Rxc2 Nc4 loses the a-pawn as 25 Bb4? a5 26 Be7? Re8 27 Re2 f6 28 Kf1 Kf7 loses the bishop instead. After the text, Black decides to get her knight back into the game and wins with surprising ease. 23.--- Nb3! 24.Rxc6 Nxd4 25.Rc7 Ne6 26.Rd7 d4 27.Ne2 d3 28.Nc1 a5 29.Be7? Re8 30.Bh4 Nc5
White resigns as the passed d-pawn will cost her a rook.
Close contest in Women's Olympiad
Problem: White to play and mate in 4.
The Women's Olympiad was held alongside the open event in Istanbul, Turkey in August and September. As with the open event, the top seeds were beaten to the gold medals on tie-break. The formidable top-ranked Chinese team lead by world champion Hou Yifan looked to have the event sewn up. But they conceded a 2-2 draw to the vastly outrated Kazakhstan team in round 10, allowing second-seeded Russia to draw level on match points. The final round saw Russia down Kazakhstan 4-0 while China only beat Bulgaria 2½-1½ giving the Russians the better tie break score.
The New Zealand Women's team finished in the bottom half of the table, slightly below their seeding. Board two Judy Gao, whose 6/9 earned her the WFM title, performed well, as did reserve Marany Meyer, who was called in at the last minute when top board Sue Maroroa was prevented from travelling to Istanbul.
Today's game is from the sixth round at Istanbul, in the match between Yemen and New Zealand. Playing with the Black pieces on second board, WFM Nicole Tsoi scored a good win against Gameel Amal.
1.e4 e6
2.d4 d5
3.exd5 ---
The exchange is a relatively unambitious way to play the French for White, but seemed quite popular in the Women's event for players wishing to avoid deep theoretical lines.
3.--- exd5
4.Bd3 Nf6
5.Nc3 Bb4
6.Ne2 O-O
7.Bg5 Nc6
Remarkably, a new move. Developing a piece in this quiet position can't be bad, but more usually this knight goes to d7 (after ... Bg4) to support the pinned knight on f6 and allow the c-pawn to advance.
8.O-O Bxc3?!
This exchange of bishop for knight seems motivated to give more point to the previous move by clearing b4, but this was better achieved by 8...Be7.
9.Nxc3 Nb4
10.Re1 h6
11.Bh4 c6
12.a3 ---
White also seems to have little regard for the two bishops and forces an exchange that she could have avoided for the past few moves by Be2 or Bf1 leaving the knight misplaced on b4.
12.--- Nxd3
13.Qxd3 Qd6
14.Re5? ---
Routinely looking to double rooks on the open file, White misses a tactical riposte. 14 Bg3 was sensible now that the knight on f6 is no longer pinned.
14.--- Ng4!
Black is alert and puts the rook in trouble with a pin of her own against h2. White finds the best reply, leading to a forced sequence winning a pawn for Black.
15.Be7! Nxe5
16.Bxf8 Nxd3
17.Bxd6 Nxb2
18.Re1 ---
Active defence, that is nevertheless not the best. Here 18 Nd1! Nc4 19 Bf4 Bf5 20 c3 was the way to keep her weakened queenside pawns safe from the marauding knight and bishop. White hopes her own rook will win a few back.
18.--- Bf5
19.Bg3 Nc4
20.Re7 b6
Better was collecting all the queenside pawns by 20...Nxa3 21 Rxb7 Nxc2 and Nxd4.
21.Rc7 Na5?!
Again 21...Nxa3 etc. was clearly better than consigning the powerful knight to the rim. White now misses that c2 is indirectly defended after say 22 f3 Bxc2 23 Nxd5! retaining some drawing chances.
22.Bd6?! Bxc2
23.Bb4 ---
If 23 Nxd5? cxd5 24 Rxc2 Nc4 loses the a-pawn as 25 Bb4? a5 26 Be7? Re8 27 Re2 f6 28 Kf1 Kf7 loses the bishop instead. After the text, Black decides to get her knight back into the game and wins with surprising ease.
23.--- Nb3!
24.Rxc6 Nxd4
25.Rc7 Ne6
26.Rd7 d4
27.Ne2 d3
28.Nc1 a5
29.Be7? Re8
30.Bh4 Nc5
White resigns as the passed d-pawn will cost her a rook.
0-1
Solution: 1 Rxg6+! Qg7 (1 ... hxg6 2 Qh8#; 1... Rg7 2 Rxg7+ Qxg7 3 Qxg7#) 2 Rxg7+ Kf8 (2... Rxg7 3 Qxg7#) 3 Rxf7+ and 4 Qg7#.